This disclosure generally relates to presenting graphical information.
A graphical user interface generally includes multiple user interface elements that each represents individual components of the interface. Each user interface element has particular visual properties such as color and shape that together describe the appearance of the user interface element in the graphical user interface. When the graphical user interface is presented, each user interface element is usually drawn so that any part of one element that overlaps another element completely occludes the other element. In some systems, a user interface element is associated with a transparency value describing the extent to which the user interface element is semi-transparent. This transparency value is used to render the user interface element so that whatever the element happens to occlude partially appears through the element. For any given transparency value, however, a user interface element may, to a user, appear significantly different depending only on colors in the area partially occluded by the semi-transparent user interface element.